White Heather was designed by W.G. McBryde and built in 1920 by McGruer & Co. Ltd. of Clynder, Scotland as a 21st birthday present for Isla Johnston, daughter of the owner of a Scottish shipping company. It was thought to be such a prestigious project that the foreman at McGruers made a model of the boat. The family also had a racing yacht and White Heather, with her powerful Thornycroft petrol/paraffin engines, which she had for 34 years, was used to tow the yacht from regatta to regatta.